Press Release –

The 2010 ATV race season started in spectacular fashion for many of the Can-Am X-Team racers Sunday at the Grand National Cross Country opening round near Lake Wells, Florida.

Team Warnert Racing / Can-Am rider, Adam McGill, had a great debut on the Can-Am DS 450 EFI ATV taking third overall in the afternoon in XC1 Pro class. He and his teammate, Chris Bithell, had their DS 450 ATVs up front for the entire two-hour race with McGill leading for two of the five laps.

Bithell finished fourth overall. Warnert Racing’s Lexie Coulter piloted her DS 450 to the Women’s class win and the morning overall title; this is her first overall win on the DS 450.

“It is always good to start the season on a positive note and clearly our racers and teams worked hard in the off-season to produce the results we had in Florida,” says Jimmie O’Dell, Racing Manager for Can-Am ATVs at BRP. “Now it is time to build on these performances and work hard week after week to bring home championships.”

Can-Am ATV success didn’t stop there. Warnert Racing’s Bryan Buckhannon began the defence of his 4×4 Open championship by taking the win in the class on his Can-Am Outlander 800R XT EFI ATV. His teammate, Michael Swift, won the 4×4 Limited class riding an Outlander 800R XT, as well. In the U2 class, Cliff Beasley was making his debut on a new ATV, the Warnert Racing / Can-Am racer took the class win on his Can-Am Renegade™ 800R X xc, this is the first class win for the machine.

Can-Am X-Team rider Kevin Trantham, raced his Can-Am Outlander 500 EFI ATV to the 4×4 Lites win in Florida. MPR Racing’s Mike Penland, was edged out by fellow Can-Am racer Forrest Whorton in the first ever race of the Utility Senior (45+); both riders were on Outlander 800R ATVs. Other Can-Am DS 450 racers taking class wins at the opening round were Santo Derisi (Vet 30+ A) and Nickalus Lineberger (Junior B 22+).

The next round in the GNCC championship is the Washington, Georgia round of the series. It takes place on March 6. For more information on Can-Am racing, the entire 2010 schedule, the 2010 contingency program and DS 450 amateur racer support program, please visit www.can-amxteam.com.

Racer Quotes

“It was amazing to go out there and be on the podium for the first race of the season. The bike was running awesome. I really have to give a big thank you to the team! I plan to be number one at Georgia.” — Adam McGill

“There’s some close competition in the U2 class, but that’s just fine with me. I like competition. I have to thank Can-Am and Warnert for building me a great bike. It ran well, handled great and had tons of power.” — Cliff Beasley

“The team has built me a really fast bike for this year, so I am looking forward to getting some great starts and lots of wins. I think this is going to be a very exciting season and I am going to work very hard to stay on top and defend my championship.” — Bryan Buckhannon

Press Release –

Reigning GNCC ATV Champion Chris Borich is no stranger to the top spot on the podium, and this weekend at the Parts Unlimited River Ranch GNCC in Florida he was back up there again.

Borich and his Suzuki QuadRacer R450 were the favorites going into the race, and after coming form behind to take the win he showed the XC1 class that he’s ready to dominate again in 2010.

Borich started the race in fifth place. His smart, calculated moves put him in second place, and at the end of the race he passed for first place and took the win more than a second better than second place.

“It feels good to get the first one out of the way,” said Borich. “I knew it was going to be a rough track and I just paced myself and then made my move. I just let the track come to me and everyone made little mistakes and I was able to take advantage of it. I pretty much made my moves around the mud holes and anywhere else I could find.”

Borich and his QuadRacer R450 will be at round 2 of the series, which takes place March 6 and 7 in Washington, Georgia.

Press Release –

Racer Productions and BRP are excited to announce the return of Can-Am as title sponsor of the 13-stop Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series (GNCC) series for another three years.

“Our relationship with GNCC racing is quite important for BRP,” commented Yves Leduc, vice president and general manager, North American division for BRP. “BRP’s Can-Am ATV brand conveys a strong performance and passion message in the off-road world and we see both those attributes out on the race course at each Grand National Cross Country Series event. We are excited to continue to be a part of the GNCC racer community.”

GNCC racing has seen exceptional growth in both the number of racer entries and fan base during the past three years with the Can-Am title sponsorship. From the opening round in Florida to the concluding race in Indiana, race fans and racers actively support the series.

“The past three years have seen unprecedented growth in our sport due in large part to our relationship with BRP and the Can-Am team,” said Jeff Russell, GNCC Trail Boss. “Can-Am sponsorship enables us to continue to invest in our series. Our team has come to depend on BRP’s Can-Am ATVs to build and navigate the course; they are GNCC tested for sure.”

Along with the renewal of BRP’s sponsorship through its Can-Am brand, several new and exciting additions will be made to the GNCC Sponsor Village as part of this new agreement. A Can-Am Zone – where fans and racers can get information and an up-close view of several Can-Am products – will be available at each of the 13 rounds. Can-Am also becomes the feature sponsor of GNCC Live Timing and Scoring over the Internet. Finally, Can-Am remains the title sponsor of the Can-Am Unadilla GNCC event held in New Berlin, N.Y. and will continue to support RacerTV.

“We are so fortunate to have a title sponsor that understands the value of having a solid television broadcast schedule like Can-Am,” said Jason Hooper, Producer of RacerTV. “Without Can-Am, it would be nearly impossible to get the series on a network of caliber like VERSUS and into over 50 million homes across the U.S.”

In the GNCC Can-Am Zone and a few other select events this year, fans will get an unprecedented opportunity to win a 2010 Can-Am Outlander 800R EFI XT ATV given away by Racer Productions. Fans will soon be able to register online as well, by participating in a GNCC survey.

The lucky winner will be announced on October 24 during the victory ceremony at the Amsoil Ironman GNCC, the final round of the 2010 Can-Am GNCC Racing Series.

The 2010 Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series kicks off this weekend as part of Daytona Bike Week at the Westgate River Ranch Resort in River Ranch, Florida, with the Parts Unlimited River Ranch GNCC. ATVs race on Sunday, February 28, and dirt bikes race on Tuesday, March 2.

Press Release –

Justin Noss gave ITP’s new QuadCross XC tires another important victory by capturing the 2010 Adelanto Grand Prix, an hour-long, rough, demanding test of endurance.

Noss put his Golden West Cycles-backed Yamaha YFZ450R into the lead of the Pro Quad class shortly after the dead-engine start and led for the entire four laps on a cool, windy mid-February day in the high desert northeast of Los Angeles.

This was the 30th anniversary for the event, drawing over 1,800 entries. Unfortunately, the promoting club Desert Vipers have said that 2010 will be the final year for the legendary race.

Noss was impressed by his first experience on the QuadCross XC, stating, “I felt these tires worked great for the high-speed, choppy track. I’m pleased to say everything worked perfect.”

The QuadCross XC incorporates a tough 6-ply carcass for higher puncture resistance and exceptional overall durability. This advanced carcass design has been proven to stiffen the sidewall during side loads without compromising ride quality.

Along with reducing the bounce that’s common on most cross country knobbies, this design benefits acceleration, braking, cornering and overall balance as well, significantly reducing fatigue and lap times.

An aggressive, dimpled tread pattern using a high-tech, long-wearing tread compound further enhances traction, feel and trail handling characteristics. Sizing is 20×11-9 for the rear (P/N 560547) and 22×7-10 in front (P/N 560546).

Since 1982, ITP has grown into the world’s #1 ATV/UTV aftermarket tire and wheel source, and continues to provide a complete line of innovative tires and wheels for virtually all ATVs and UTVs. For a copy of ITP’s full-color product catalog, call toll-free: 1-800-859-4740. For other inquiries or technical advice, contact ITP at 930-A S. Rockefeller Ave., Ontario, CA 91761; (909) 390-1905. Or visit ITP’s website at www.itptires.com

Press Release –

New contract approves and authorizes Polaris to sell its Low Speed, Electric Vehicle (EV) to Government Customers

Polaris Defense, a division of Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE: PII) today announced the company was awarded a new contract with the General Services Administration (GSA) to sell the Polaris all electric, on-road and off-road Low Speed Vehicle (LSV), known as the Polaris EV LSV, to Government Customers.

Polaris Defense currently sells a portfolio of vehicles via GSA, on Schedule 78, but under the new contract, the company can sell its EV LSV under Schedule 23V which is specifically for vehicles that meet the LSV requirements.

The Polaris EV LSV is the only 4 wheel drive vehicle on GSA Schedule 23V. Polaris Defense’s new contract number for the Polaris EV LSV is GS-30F-0017W.

“The award of this GSA contract allows Polaris Defense to provide an innovative, leap-ahead four-wheel drive, electric vehicle to our government customers, while giving them a centralized purchasing point to buy our products,” said Mark McCormick, managing director of Polaris Defense. “Using electric LSV vehicles such as the Polaris EV LSV directly supports the US Government initiative to ‘Go Green’ on its installations and facilities.”

The Polaris EV LSV is based off the RANGER EV platform, Polaris’ first off-road, electric vehicle, and includes the necessary features including horn, turn signals, automotive-quality windshield and rear view mirror, for on-road use. With its 30 horsepower electric motor, quiet operation, 50 mile range and 25 mph top speed, the Polaris EV LSV is the most-capable LSV available for government use. Tough and reliable, it boasts a 1,000-pound payload capacity, 1,250 lbs. of towing and On-Demand True All-Wheel Drive for harsh terrain making it a strong work partner.

More information about the Polaris EV LSV can be found at www.polarislsv.com

Press Release –

Chris Borich, 2009 GNCC ATV Champion, and Yoshimura R&D of America will once again work toward dominating the GNCC series and taking home another championship.

Borich will be defending his title in the series aboard a Suzuki LT-R450, and with the help of Yoshimura, riding his way to the top of the podium.

Borich, from Sunbury, Pennsylvania, was on top of the podium 10 of 13 races in the 2009 series, finishing nearly 100 points ahead of his closest competitor. Borich was unstoppable in the XC1 Pro class, and plans to rule the ATV class again in 2010.

“I’m very excited to be back with Yoshimura,” Borich said. “They’re a big part of my racing program and I’m excited to work with them on grabbing another championship this year.”

“We’re really excited for Chris this year,” Yoshimura’s ATV Marketing Manager Kory Ellis said. “He’s worked hard to get to the top of his game, and Yoshimura will help him stay there any way we can.”

The 13-round GNCC series kicks off in River Ranch, Florida, on February 27 through March 1.

Look for Borich and his Yoshimura-prepped Suzuki LT-R450 to be the first across the finish line throughout the 2010 season.